LA JOLLA’S ‘LIMELIGHT’ TO OPEN ON BROADWAY IN SEPTEMBER

Musical about Charlie Chaplin premiered here 2 years ago

A musical about Charlie Chaplin that was birthed at La Jolla Playhouse is heading back into the limelight, nearly two years after its world premiere here.

The Playhouse confirmed Friday that “Chaplin” — whose title during its La Jolla run actually was “Limelight: The Story of Charlie Chaplin” — will land on Broadway this summer. The show begins previews Aug. 21 at the Barrymore Theater, and officially opens Sept. 10.

The musical, by composer-lyricist-writer Christopher Curtis and co-writer Thomas Meehan (of “Annie” and “Hairspray” fame), tells the story of the great actor and filmmaker’s rise from a troubled childhood in England to silent-movie fame in America.

The Broadway production, like the La Jolla staging, will be directed and choreographed by Warren Carlyle. There was no immediate word on casting. (Robert McClure played Chaplin in La Jolla; he was one of the best aspects of a sprawling show that captured the impressive expanse of the Little Tramp’s career but often skimmed the surface of what was a very complex life.)

“We were ecstatic at today’s news that ‘Limelight’ will be opening on Broadway” this summer, said Christopher Ashley, the Playhouse’s artistic director. “In this current Broadway awards season featuring three Playhouse-developed shows, it is truly exciting to see yet another of our world-premiere productions have a life beyond our stage.”

“Peter and the Starcatcher” and “Bonnie & Clyde,” both of which launched at the Playhouse in 2009 (the former in a workshop production), are up for Tony Awards this year, as is “Jesus Christ Superstar,” which had a La Jolla run in 2011 under the direction of former Playhouse artistic chief Des McAnuff. “Milk Like Sugar,” which premiered at the Playhouse last year, earned a Lucille Lortel Award nomination for its off-Broadway production.

Meantime, “Leap of Faith” — a musical directed by Ashley as an outside project — closes on Broadway today after an abbreviated one-month run.